


A happy ending for Remus

by DiamondLoveGood



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Back to Hogwarts, Bottom Remus Lupin, Depression, Fluff, Happy Ending, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Light-Hearted, Loneliness, Loss, M/M, Post-War, Regret, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Shyness, Survivor Guilt, Top Severus Snape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:48:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29044119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiamondLoveGood/pseuds/DiamondLoveGood
Summary: Remus is struggling to care for Teddy and his own fragile heart. Not wanting to bother anyone, he suffers in silence. Meanwhile, it appears that McGonagall made Snape come and save the day.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Remus Lupin/Severus Snape
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

Soundtrack: Mr Mister - Broken Wings

=

Remus was startled out of sleep when a shrill baby cry took over every corner of his cottage, which was falling apart, on top of everything.  
Thankfully, there were no neighbors anywhere.  
His father used to take him there to transform while the man stayed inside the cottage, protected by tons of spells, while Moony ran wild outside in no danger of eating any human beings.  
Remus’ father had been a powerful wizard and auror, and his spells still held.  
He thought of his father, killed by death eaters in the first war and Remus sighed. He had been sad and out of sorts ever since the end of the war.  
He mourned for Dora and had loved her in his own way - maybe not exactly how she hoped for - but having a family, security, and a normal life had been all he had wanted, but it was all gone.  
Andromeda had said he should continue to live in the house he and Dora had rented together but his mother in law didn’t know that he had no means of paying the rent, and that Dumbledore had been giving him a sort of salary while the Order had been active, and that until the end of the war, he had been living from what remained of Dumbledore’s generosity.  
He also couldn’t bear accepting money from Harry. It reminded him when James had done the same and he felt humiliated that generation after generation realized that werewolves were a charity case.  
It wasn’t for lack of trying. But even his favorite jobs as a teacher or a bookstore (or chocolatier) clerk couldn’t forgive his absences forever.  
Thankfully, it seemed that Minerva was able to convince Snape to brew the wolfsbane for him - which Harry paid for and Hermione helped Snape to make, and Andromeda visited every week, bearing ‘gifts’ that were ill disguised groceries, surely paid again by another Potter.  
Taking care of a child and the isolation was very difficult but Remus would put up a smile and not tell anyone. Hermione and Luna insisted on watching over Teddy twice a month, and Remus was thankful. They each brought Ron or Neville with them, which Remus again found humiliating because then there were more people to see in what dire situation he lived in.  
His cottage literally had one bedroom, a tiny living room and a miniscule kitchen, plus a toilet. He had to shower outside in the river, while giving Teddy a warm bath using the sink. He had hoped no one would see it beside Andromeda and Harry, just because they had to, but he hadn’t realized that after the war, people who fought together became connected like one big family. If one knew of his predicament, then everyone did too.He cringed thinking of what they must talk about when he isn't present.  
Even Minerva - who was so busy - visited him once a month for biscuits and tea. He used the teas Andromeda gave him and had the cheap, bag type by himself, just so he could save some dignity. He knew, however, that she worried and was checking up on him, making sure he wouldn’t feel lonely.  
He could endure it all, no matter how bad things were. There had been an instance when he was 21 when he gave up on everything but things never got that bad again. At the time, losing Lily, James, and Peter, while thinking that Sirius betrayed them all had been devastating. That’s when dear Moony had scratched his own face and body in his grief. He hadn’t been able to recover for two months, and the owner of his and Sirius flat had brought three big men to kick him out of the flat and literally too. He lived in the streets for months before Arthur had found him, because Dumbledore asked and Molly had been fretting that her owl couldn’t find him.  
If the position hadn’t been cursed, Dumbledore might have made Remus the official Defense Against the Dark Arts professor just to give him food and shelter.

Remus held Teddy as he softly smiled at his son, who was chewing his banana and orange mash, open mouthed and drooling everywhere, smiling back at him. His eyes filled with tears and for a moment he felt grateful his son had survived.  
The loneliness was difficult. That was the one thing he thought he would never have to endure again but to it he returned, over and over, decade after decade. He had his friends now but of another generation. It was hard to have a pack, only to have it torn from him, and later in life, to find a family which was also taken away.

Remus breathed deeply, feeling his heart shatter.  
Wolves were not meant to live alone. He was happy when he had a pack. Without others, he could not function.

When he realized there was an angry knock at the door, he jumped to his feet, surprised at his own distraction. He took his wand because some habits die hard and then he cast a spell at the door to reveal who was behind it.  
For a moment, his brain could not comprehend why Severus Snape was behind it.  
He wondered why one of the people who most hated him knew where he lived, and what he was doing there. Then he started to blush, mortified, hoping that he could hold the man outside because Severus Snape would surely have a lot to say about his hut.  
‘What was the trick that you used on Mundungus in the last year of the war?’ He asked through the door, because he wasn’t a berk and he wouldn’t risk opening the door to someone that could be polyjuiced as Snape, although that was a stretch. There were still some people who hated werewolves, although Harry, Hermione and Minister Shacklebolt were already working to change the law for them. And house-elves too, although Hermione no longer called the project Spew because she wanted to be taken seriously.  
He saw Snape roll his eyes and sigh exasperatedly. ‘He gave you the idea of the seven Potters, which I should add that you all followed without question.’ He raised his head smugly.  
Remus opened the door.  
‘We followed Dumbledore’s idea without question, you mean.’  
Snape just stared back at him with that dead, cold black look of his.  
‘What do I owe the pleasure of this...hum… quick visit?’ Remus asked.  
‘I will be quick.’ Snape looked over Remus’ shoulder and sneered and Remus thought it could be because he didn’t want to be invited inside such a hut.  
Remus blushed even more.  
‘I came here because I am not able to deal with the great demand of work as the Potion’s Master, Head of Slytherin and Deputy Headmaster, especially because of how many dreamless sleep I am having to make for the dunderheads. They are traumatized after the war and are whinnier than ever.’  
Remus blinked. And then he blinked again. Then he nodded cautiously.  
‘And…?’  
‘And Minerva… the Headmistress made me come here to offer you a part-time job to assist me in cutting and chopping… If you… ‘d like.’  
Remus felt warm all over. He would love to go back to Hogwarts. If it was only part time, he could definitely do it while still taking care of Teddy.  
‘Wow, that is wonderful Severus. I would love to.’  
Snape gave him a minute nod and turned dramatically, with his robes flaring all around him.  
‘Wait! When do I start?’ Remus raised his voice, a little desperate at the abrupt departure.  
Snape turned around with a flare again.  
‘Whenever you’d like. She said you will be well compensated for it.’ And then Snape disapparated, leaving Remus exasperated.  
He closed the door slowly, a little shaken for having Severus Snape shoved at him so abruptly. He thought of it as the Snape effect. He was always left shaky after an encounter with the prickly Potion’s Master.  
He sighed. Gods, he was such a berk. Even a little bit of kindness had him crushing over Snape again. Like when he found him brewing the wolfsbane to him, month after month, years ago. He anticipated Snape’s dramatic visits to give him the goblet and then for some reason, Snape would watch him drink the entire thing. Or when he found that Snape almost took George’s ear off to save him, although it was very bad for George, of course.  
Or when Snape kept his secret, even after Sirius tried to basically murder him using his best friend.  
Well, he always had a crush on Snape, who was everything he wasn’t.  
The Slytherin had been a force of nature, even at eleven years old. He spent years fighting against the four Gryffindor boys - although all Remus really did was to observe him like a stalker and adore him quietly, like a coward. Gods, he even had married a woman when he had only like boys his entire life. Well, a boy. Although he had admired Sirius’ ass and out of this world good looks - who hadn’t? - but he always had a thing for Snape.  
Sometimes, boring Order meetings were a source of great joy for Remus because he had an excuse to observe the dark, moody Potion’s Master when he gave his report.  
Working with Snape would be a blessing and a curse. That’s why he had been so horrible in potion. He couldn’t help but get distracted in the class where Snape shone the most, with his long, pale fingers chopping and throwing ingredients like a master and then holding his wand…

Teddy’s plate fell to the ground, bringing Remus out of his decade’s old reverie.

o0o

It turned out that just owling Minerva was enough to decide what his routine and salary would be. He had the choice of going to work on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the mornings while Teddy would be watched over by three house-elves who loved children, or he could work from Mondays to Fridays if he liked and just live in Hogwarts. Remus obviously chose to work more and it wasn’t only because of the galleons.  
He tried to not think if Minerva was doing it out of charity but at least she gave him work. Receiving money, groceries, and free help was way worse, like Harry and everyone else was doing.

On the first day, he was invited to the Headmistress’ room and Minerva actually came around the desk to hug him. He held tight to her a little bit longer than was called for but he hadn’t had a mother figure for so long, and he was lonely, as well as feeling pretty sorry for himself lately.

Eating at the staff table had been a wonderful surprise, because of the amazing food and the empty chair near Snape. 

They didn’t talk much and the Deputy Headmaster only told him what he had to do for the day, but Remus lived for those moments when he could hear Snape’s voice.  
When he messed things up, which he did a lot when his mind wandered and his eyes sought Snape, he felt butterflies in his stomach like a little girl with her first crush when the Potion’s Master would approach his desk and fix the problem for him. Gods, but he was such a needy, lonely werewolf. He always had been. People couldn’t show him an ounce of kindness and he would immediately crush all over them, although it mostly had been Snape. 

It had been during the first Halloween after the end of the war that he had more reasons to feel even clumsier near his colleague.  
When returning to Snape’s Potion laboratory, he found a student in the dungeons’ corridor, dressed up as a werewolf and Remus had stopped dead on his tracks,  
The students looked to be fifth graders, all Slytherins and about ten to fifteen of them were laughing and leering at him.  
It had been one of his childhood fears, so Remus had been paralized for a moment, as if he was not the adult in their midst and able to deal with such disrespect.  
Then, everyone stopped, as if terrified and Remus turned around slowly, only to see a furious Snape with his nostrils flaring right behind him.  
‘Detention for a month. With Filch. All of you.’ Snape had said in his slow, menacing and sexy voice of his, making Remus melt in more ways than one. Then suddenly the Potion’s Master grinned maliciously. ‘Actually, you will scrub toilets and the hospital pots… For a month… With no magic...’ Snape leered. ‘Now, get out of my sight.’ And the students disappeared so quickly, it was like they disapparated.

0o0

I was so happy to be struck by a plot bunny again. For weeks I kept seeing a needy Remus who was asking for a deserved happy ending. A few hours ago, I saw the complete story and it didn’t end at all as I first imagined. What a trip!

I hope you enjoyed and on towards part 2 (and last) we go, (still editing)  
I’d love to hear your feelings, please review. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

In time, Minerva offered a room for him and Teddy, saying that it had just been made ready because most of the castle had suffered some damage, and Remus accepted moving to the castle permanently. He couldn’t believe his luck. And it was in the dungeons and besides Snape’s quarters.  
He had no friends to share his heart with, although he knew he could talk to Harry about anything. They had patched things after the war when he woke up the young man weeping beside his bed, and obviously all had been forgiven and forgotten even before that, during the war. But even though Harry now worshipped the floor that Snape walked, the young man would not understand his infatuation, surely. 

Remus was sure he was the only person on the planet who ever looked at Snape in a romantic way, although he couldn’t understand why. Moody, sarcastic, dark, angry, and unbalanced, what was not to like about Snape? Snape was also loyal, courageous, attractive, and a genius. Remus sighed.  
Most people avoided the surly man. Maybe that’s why Remus was so fascinated by him, because he was a werewolf, therefore he was used to darkness. Maybe it wasn’t just the darkness, otherwise he may have had eyes for other Slytherins in his time and they all repelled him, although there were a few weeks in the past when he also had a crush on Regulus too, because the boy had given him a tiny smile when he didn’t act like the bullying idiot Sirius had been, like Regulus was grateful Remus wasn’t like that. The werewolf had always been needy and lonely, losing his heart too often. Then, back to Snape he went. Always. Maybe he liked dark but good hearted Slytherins, the ones who turned against Voldemort, which had only been two. 

‘Lupin.’ Snape said suddenly, one day, after they finished their batch of dreamless sleep.  
‘Hum?’ Remus raised his head, distractedly.  
‘Why don’t you return to your old Defense position again? Is helping with potions that satisfying for you? You are not even making an entire potion, just helping here and there and taking orders from me.’

Remus just stared at Snape, without comprehending.  
‘But there is a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor already.’  
‘A substitute professor, and Auror. Professor Nutter will return to his preferred work once the position is filled.’  
Remus chuckled. ‘Severus, is that really his name?’  
Snape lowered his head, hiding his face behind his luxurious hair. Some called it greasy, but that’s not how Remus saw it. Maybe people in love were blind. The entire Hogwarts population had considered Snape ugly in his time. ‘How mature of you Lupin.  
Remus returned to clean the enormous table and put all the glasses back to their proper place.  
‘And yes, Professor Nutter may be a little nuts, but that is his real name.’  
Remus turned abruptly, grinning from ear to ear, but he saw Snape still hiding behind his hair that almost looked blue under a certain light.  
‘Was that a joke, Severus? Wow, the end of the war really mellowed you out.’  
When Snape raised his head his eyes were black, cold, and empty as always. ‘I don’t make jokes, Lupin. You are mistaken.’ And then he turned away.  
Remus smiled. And his poor, withered heart was overtaken a little bit more, as he grinned stupidly at Snape’s straight back, only because, with those voluminous robes Remus couldn't check his ass.

It turned out that the Headmistress was amenable to the idea. Remus was surprised and delighted. To return to teaching was possibly the best thing that could ever happen to him, besides having Teddy… And having Snape… Well, actually, besides not being a werewolf but there was nothing he could do to fix that aside from turning back time.

After settling down as a Professor again, Remus couldn’t take his eyes off Snape. Lunch time and staff meetings were a curse and a blessing. He couldn’t believe the man didn’t feel the tension or maybe that’s what happened when the yearning was one sided.

It seems that Minerva did because that’s why she called him to her office.  
‘Okay, Remus, this needs to stop.’  
Remus reddened and he felt eleven all over. He had been in that office countless times before as a young boy, not because anyone ever caught him in the act, only because he had been with James and Sirius. It was never proven that Remus had been involved in every single prank as the brains of the operation, so she never had been as angry with him.  
‘I… Err...’ He said.  
‘Let’s not beat around the bushes, Remus. I know what is going on between you and Severus.’  
Remus eyes widened. ‘What?! I don’t know what you are talking about. Nothing is going on.’  
‘It’s okay Remus. I know.’ Minerva’s eyes - which were enormous like an owl - widened even more as she indicated how much she knew. ‘The problem is that you keep acting the same way as you did as children, and many more decades will pass by if I don’t intervene, now.’  
‘What do you mean?’ Remus shrunk in his chair. He was quite a big and tall man but who felt like a tiny little thing on the inside.  
‘You have been looking and admiring each other since you were at school and I can’t take this anymore. I’ve been helping Severus but it seems he will never do anything about it either, so I am coming to you.’  
‘You have been helping him?’ Remus’ voice squeaked a bit in the end, embarrassingly so.  
‘Yes. It was he who wanted your address, and to offer you a job where he could keep an eye on you. He also wanted you to return to your favorite job so you will never leave and which he regrets taking from you. Severus may pretend he hates students but he will never leave his Slytherins. They need him more than ever after the war, with their reputation and that of their parents in shambles.’  
Oh Gods… Snape was doing what he most hated - teaching - because of the Slytherins. Remus melted inside. He had thought he couldn’t love the man even more. It appears he had been mistaken.  
‘He asked you all of these things?’  
‘No.’ She said in her brusk way and Remus deflated. ‘Only after about three hours of beating around the bushes, four glasses of Dumbledore’s best whiskey I still have a stash of, he finally confessed that he wanted to get closer to you, even if you only became friends. He wanted this since you were boys, and that is why he hated your friends so much. Because he could never talk to you alone.’  
Remus’ head spun and he wasn’t even drinking. ‘Ohh...’  
‘He said that he hadn’t been following you and your friends around, just you. And you keep staring at him and then pretending that you weren’t. You love each other. If he is not going to do anything about it, then you must, Remus.’  
Remus jaw dropped.  
After a long moment, he cleared his throat. ‘Are you… Are you sure about this? I mean, didn’t he love Lily?’  
‘Yes.’ She said and then sighed in exasperation as Remus deflated again. ‘As a dear childhood friend.’ Remus inflated, again, straightening his back. He felt very fragile after the war. ‘Lily was the only bright light during a very dark time for him. And I must say that you were in a similar situation, Remus.’  
Remus blushed, thinking of Dora and what a fraud it had all been.  
Minerva looked at him kindly. ‘I understand you felt like you couldn’t be picky. But that is not true, Remus. You and Severus are great men. But you are both too insecure, think themselves unworthy of having what they want. You sacrificed too much, it’s time for you to be happy. If you have to, have a drink to give you courage but go talk to him. And that’s an order because I’ll be badgering you for now on.’

Remus stood on shaky legs. His heart was pounding and he thought he wouldn’t have the courage to do what she asked, but he swallowed audibly and nodded, planning on returning to his quarters. Now he wondered if the Potion’s Master had planned that too, so they lived beside each other and his stomach flipped in a mix of joy, trepidation and a thousand of other feelings. He was like a love-sick puppy and a school boy, sometimes.

Back in his quarters, he checked on Teddy, who was sleeping in his blue pajamas while sucking his own thumb. The house-elf responsible for his son was balancing on the chair beside the crib and Remus nodded at him. ‘Thank you.’ He mouthed. The house-elf bowed and Remus left for his living room. There, he paced a bit until he decided Minerva had offered a great idea, so he took a sip of firewhiskey, and then another…

...And then another.

He and Harry had talked about Remus’ greatest fear. Harry had been praising him for fighting in two wars, even when his own pack - made of James and Sirius (both pretended Peter hadn't even existed) had stopped trusting him and Remus had confessed that he actually saw himself as a coward. Otherwise, how to explain that the first action of a father was to try to take off and leave his family behind?  
They had cleared things between them and Harry had been teary-eyed, afraid that that's how he would have remembered Remus forever, angry and hurt after their argument, if the werewolf had died without patching things. For months, confronting hunger as he, Hermione and Ron crossed countries, he sometimes would see Remus’ crazed eyes in the darkness of the tent at night and he would regret his words. As Remus had said during Potter Watch, Harry had been right and he had panicked. He hadn’t thought that worse than being a werewolf’s son and in Dora’s case - a wife - leaving them would have been infinitely worse for them, and he understood that as an orphan, Harry had been triggered when facing Remus’ decision.  
They cried and hugged, with Harry insisting that Remus was brave because he always did the right thing, no matter how scared he was.  
In his drunk haze, he thought of Harry’s words again and a burst of warmth took over his heart. Indeed, he questioned himself all his life, but he never, ever, shrunk from his duties.  
He always did the right thing.  
Maybe he wasn’t a coward, after all.  
Talking to Severus didn’t seem that impossible.

Too bad he didn’t have money to buy some muggle music playing device yet. He had wanted to save for Teddy and him first before purchasing anything.

Ah well…

He was feeling the 80s…

Remus got up and opened his arms, splashing a bit of whiskey on the carpet. He closed his eyes and threw his head back - smiling. He felt invincible as he sang:

So take these broken wings  
And learn to fly again, learn to live so free  
When we hear the voices sing  
The book of love will open up and let us in

Take these broken wings  
You've got to learn to fly, learn to live, love so free  
When we hear the voices sing  
The book of love will open up and let us in  
Yeah, yeah

He started to raise his voice at the second mention of the wings, turning round and round, dancing. And grinning.

By the time he knocked on Snape’s door, it was one in the morning already.  
Snape raised his impressive eyebrows when he saw him.  
‘Lupin, what was that infernal caterwauling from your room? Was that you?’

Remus had opened his mouth to say something, and even in his drunk state, he knew he would have been mortified if not for the alcohol. Oh Gods, Severus heard everything.  
‘You… Err, you heard that did you?’

But when he saw two Snapes, he knew he was way too drunk and it was only going to get worse from there. When it came to alcohol, he was strangely weak for a werewolf. So he just stepped upon Snape’s personal space, flung his arms around the man’s neck and kissed him sloppily. The Slytherin didn’t react and in the back of his mind, Remus knew that he would die when he sobered up in the morning, so he disentangled himself and tried to apologize, already turning away, but what came out was ‘Sóórry, so sóórry, Snapes...’ 

Suddenly, he felt himself being spun around forcefully, then pulled by his collar. Snape kicked his own quarter’s door closed, then Remus was forcefully thrown against said door as Snape kissed him even more sloppily, as if he had never kissed anyone before.  
Oh great, - Remus thought faintly - Snape had only been taken by surprise, he does want me.  
And then he couldn’t think anymore.  
They battled for dominance, pushing each other against the wall for some reason and panting. Then they started to strip each other of their clothing right there.

Their joining was forceful and quick. There was a lot of tension that could be built in almost three decades.  
Remus chuckled in the middle of Snape pounding into him, making the Slytherin look at him furiously and stop. He raised his hand quickly ‘Sóórry, mm drunk. I was just thinkin… how long it took… that we redefined the meaning of slow. He chuckled happily.  
For the first time in his life, he saw Snape smile, like really, really smile. Of happiness. He was all read, panting, and sweaty, but he was really smiling. Remus just stared in pure adoration, loving the man more than he ever did and his eyes filled with tears.  
Snape kissed him adoringly, and their love making changed from pornographic, to a romantic movie scene.  
There was a lot of loud moaning, panting, and humming until they were done. At the end, Remus was stroking himself and he shouted as he reached completion. He almost saw stars and making love had never been like this for him. And when their hearts slowed down a bit, Snape tried to lift his lover by the hand three times, falling with him back to the ground until Remus could finally stand, laughing as they headed to Snape’s rooms, where they slept together in a tangle of limbs and black and dirty blonde hair.

Teddy slept on peacefully in the other room, not knowing that he had just gained another father that would never leave him.

And an exasperated house-elf - who heard the beginning of their tumble - had to put a silencing spell on the wall and then come out of Remus’ room to add another to Professor Snape’s door as those two were so loud.  
‘Humans...’ the elf thought.

Eventually, the house-elf - Tongo - would be the one to help Professor Werewolf and Sir Professor Potion’s Master to break down a wall in between their rooms so they would create an even bigger one to fit their family.

Minerva rejoiced in her meddling a while later once she noticed signs that the two had gotten together. It was very easy to find out as both of them would not meet her eyes. 

Then she toasted the good news with Dumbledore’s portrait who celebrated with the twinkle in his eyes and a tiny painted glass.  
‘I told you those two wanted each other.’ He said. ‘Well done, my dear.’

In seven months, Harry would find out after arriving unannounced - while making himself comfortable - when Remus and Snape came out of the bathroom together with only towels around their waist and screamed like hell. The ex-death eater still related loud noises and shouts to the war. Like Remus, he was always ready as he made a jerky movement to accio his wand, and that's when his towel fell, making Harry scream even louder in horror. And whimper too.

0o0

The End

0o0  
Review is fuel.  
Thank you for coming on this journey with me. Love, Diamond.


End file.
